It's actually OK to cheat in this version of Monopoly

PRETTY much everyone who has played the iconic board game Monopoly has bent the rules in some way.

Whether it's putting all the 'fine' money into the middle for whoever lands on free parking to collect, to letting people build hotels when they don't own the complete property colour set, or having their assets frozen while in jail, 'house rules' are often contentious but usually lively changes to the main rules.

The folks at Hasbro are well aware that people can get a bit underhanded when playing Monopoly - the game has been around since the 1930s, after all - but they've decided to make said underhandedness an official element of the game with the release this month of Monopoly: Cheaters Edition.

Described as "A cheeky new take on the iconic game", the game rewards cheating and underhandedness, with press material saying "players will attempt to get away with stealing money from the bank", skipping spaces and avoiding rent payments during game play - the first time these moves will be included in the official rules of a Monopoly game.

While players will be rewarded for completing the in-game "cheats", they must be sly.

If caught, offenders will face consequences - including a pretend handcuff that will "chain" those culprits to the game board.

The banker role has also been eliminated, with players controlling the bank on their turn - doubtless adding to the temptation and opportunities to help oneself to the till.

Hasbro gaming global marketing senior vice-president Jonathan Berkowitz said they knew Monopoly games could get rather contentious at times.

"With regular reports of space skipping or rent dodging, we know Monopoly games can get pretty heated," he said.

"With the Monopoly Cheaters Edition, we're mixing things up by levelling the playing field for fans everywhere."